Last updated: 17 September 2026
Direct answer. Shanghai has two airports: Pudong (PVG), about 30 km from downtown, and Hongqiao (SHA), 13 km away. Pudong is served by the Airport Link Line, metro Line 2 and the maglev to Longyang Road; Hongqiao by metro Lines 2, 10 and 17. The Airport Link Line links the two airports in about 40 minutes.
Every fare, timetable and payment detail below is dated and linked to an official source in the Fact List. Airport fares, bus routes and rail timetables change with each flight-season switch — re-check before you travel.
Shanghai's two airports sit on opposite sides of the city, and that single fact decides your whole arrival plan.
| Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) | Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport (SHA) | |
|---|---|---|
| Position | East, Pudong New Area — about 30 km from downtown | West — about 13 km from the city centre |
| Flight mix | International and domestic | Mainly domestic and regional flights within East Asia |
| Rail options | Metro Line 2; maglev to Longyang Road; Airport Link Line | Metro Lines 2 and 10 (Terminal 2); Line 10 (Terminal 1); Airport Link Line |
| Inter-airport link | Airport Link Line to Hongqiao Airport T2 — about 40 minutes | Airport Link Line to Pudong Airport T1&T2 — about 40 minutes |
| Taxi to People's Square | Around 180 yuan, about 50 minutes (official airport figure) | About 30 minutes, 100–150 yuan depending on traffic (official airport figure) |
| Best for | International arrivals; hotels in Pudong/Lujiazui; the Bund and the historic centre | Domestic hops; hotels in the west; onward high-speed rail from Hongqiao Railway Station |
Why this matters more than the fare: the airport you use decides which metro interchange you reach first, and Hongqiao Airport shares its site with Hongqiao Railway Station — the city's main high-speed rail terminal. Booking a hotel on the wrong side of the Huangpu River turns a 40-minute arrival into a two-hour one. Our Shanghai city guide covers the area choice in detail.
Pudong Airport has two terminals linked by a free shuttle bus that runs 24 hours a day, every 10 to 15 minutes. You will normally land at T1 or T2; the rail and taxi options below are available from both.
Metro Line 2 — the cheapest option. The airport's own guidance calls Line 2 "the most economical way to travel to and from the airport, with a fare of about 7 yuan", and puts the journey from Pudong Airport Terminal 1&2 station to People's Square at about one hour. Line 2 also continues west to Hongqiao Airport and Hongqiao Railway Station, so it is one of the few routes that needs no change.
The maglev — fastest to the city edge. The high-speed maglev provides a fast connection from Pudong Airport to the city; you get off at Longyang Road Station, where you transfer to Metro Line 2. It does not reach the city centre on its own — budget for the transfer, and for the fact that your maglev ticket and your metro fare are separate products.
The Airport Link Line — for cross-city or Hongqiao-bound travel. Opened in December, this express line also calls at Pudong Airport Terminal 1&2 and runs to Hongqiao Airport Terminal 2 in about 40 minutes (detailed in section 4).
Taxi. The airport publishes the taxi ranks and an indicative fare: the taxi pick-up point at Terminal 1 is outside Arrival Gate 12 (passengers arriving at Gates 4 or 8 should walk south to Gate 12) and the stand at Terminal 2 is outside Arrival Gate 25, with a ride to People's Square at around 180 yuan and about 50 minutes.
Hongqiao Airport is in western Shanghai, just 13 km from the city centre, and primarily serves domestic flights and regional flights within East Asia. It has two terminals.
Because Hongqiao Airport is joined to Hongqiao Railway Station, this is also the airport to use if your trip continues by high-speed rail on the same day.
The Airport Link Line is the newest option and the only one that links the two airports directly. Introduced in December 2024, it runs at around 160 km/h — twice as fast as the average subway trip.
Stations (seven): Hongqiao Airport Terminal 2 — Zhongchun Road — Jinghong Road — South Sanlin — East Kangqiao — Shanghai International Resort — Pudong Airport Terminal 1&2.
Fares. The line is priced on a separate mechanism from the city metro network. Fares start at 4 yuan and the full journey costs 26 yuan. Three published discounts sit on top:
Transfers. In-station at Zhongchun Road to Metro Line 9. Out-of-station: Hongqiao Airport Terminal 2 → Metro Lines 2, 10 and 17; Jinghong Road → Line 15; Pudong Airport Terminal 1&2 → Line 2 and the maglev.
Timetable. Trains run every 15 minutes. The operator's published first departure is 05:45 from Hongqiao Airport Terminal 2 towards Pudong Airport Terminal 1&2, and the last departure is 22:15 from Pudong Airport Terminal 1&2 towards Hongqiao Airport Terminal 2. If your arrival is later than that, plan for a taxi or a night-time metro alternative instead.
Check the timetable before a late arrival. An earlier official English page for this line, published by the Pudong New Area government, gave different first and last departures (06:00 and 22:39). The Shanghai municipal page used here is the more recently updated of the two, but operators adjust timetables — confirm on the operator's current page for your date.
Luggage rules on the Airport Link Line (official): keep each item under 23 kg; make sure each piece does not occupy more than 0.2 cubic metres; and keep the total of length, width and height under 1.8 m. Trains carry both lower racks for large cases and upper racks for small bags, and have wireless charging points.
Shanghai's ticketing is more visitor-friendly than most Chinese cities, and this is the part most guides get wrong. What the municipal pages set out:
Ranks sit outside the arrivals halls at both airports, and the Shanghai municipal transport pages list the fare structure and payment options:
Honest caveat: metro, maglev and Airport Link Line timetables are what make a late arrival workable; a taxi is the fallback plan, not the timetable. Keep a payment method that works — sort out mobile data before you land so ride-hailing and payment apps function the moment you switch your phone on.
| Your situation | Use this |
|---|---|
| Land at PVG, hotel in the historic centre or on the Bund | Metro Line 2 towards People's Square — about one hour, about 7 yuan |
| Land at PVG, hotel in Lujiazui or Pudong | Metro Line 2, or the maglev to Longyang Road then Line 2 |
| Land at PVG, flying out of Hongqiao the same day | Airport Link Line — about 40 minutes between the airports |
| Land at SHA, hotel in the west or onward high-speed rail | Metro Lines 2 or 10, or walk to Hongqiao Railway Station |
| Landing late at night | Check the last Airport Link and metro departures first; otherwise a metered taxi from the official rank |
| Two or more travellers with large cases | Taxi — per-person rail fares add up, and the Airport Link Line has luggage limits |
| You want to ride the fastest train | Maglev from PVG to Longyang Road, then Metro Line 2 |
Next steps: if your trip continues by train, our 12306 high-speed rail booking guide covers ticketing; our Beijing airport transfer guide covers the same decisions for the capital; and if you are still choosing where to sleep, start from the stay guides hub. Browse the transport hub for the rest.
All sources retrieved 2026-09-17 via the official pages below. Every figure on this page has a row here.
Metro Line 2 runs from Pudong Airport Terminal 1&2 station to People's Square in about one hour for a fare of about 7 yuan. The maglev runs to Longyang Road Station, where you transfer to Line 2. The Airport Link Line also calls at Pudong Airport Terminal 1&2 and reaches Hongqiao Airport Terminal 2 in about 40 minutes.
Fares start at 4 yuan and the full journey costs 26 yuan. A transfer between a bus and the Airport Link Line within 120 minutes earns a 1 yuan discount, and a 20-ride package gives a 30 percent discount over 30 days.
About 40 minutes on the Airport Link Line, which runs at around 160 km/h and serves seven stations between Hongqiao Airport Terminal 2 and Pudong Airport Terminal 1&2.
Yes. Shanghai Metro accepts tap-to-ride with contactless cards including UnionPay, Visa, Mastercard, American Express and JCB, plus eligible e-CNY hardware wallets, provided the card has password-free payment for small transactions enabled. Card payment terminals at metro station service centres also accept domestic UnionPay and overseas cards.
The Shanghai Airport Authority lists a ride to People's Square at around 180 yuan, about 50 minutes, depending on traffic; from Hongqiao Airport, about 30 minutes and 100 to 150 yuan. Taxi ranks are outside the arrival halls — Terminal 1 outside Arrival Gate 12, Terminal 2 outside Arrival Gate 25 at Pudong.
All sources retrieved 17 September 2026. This page is an independent reading of the sources listed; the official pages themselves are the specification.
| Fact used on this page | Source |
|---|---|
| S1 — Pudong airport geography and facilities: international and domestic flights; about 30 km from downtown and 40 km from Hongqiao airport; free shuttle bus between its two terminals, 24 hours a day, every 10–15 minutes; five bus services; maglev to Longyang Road Station then transfer to Metro Line 2; Metro Line 2 fare about 7 yuan; Pudong Airport Terminal 1&2 station to People's Square about one hour; taxi to People's Square around 180 yuan, about 50 minutes; taxi pick-up Terminal 1 outside Arrival Gate 12 (Gates 4/8 → walk south to 12), Terminal 2 outside Arrival Gate 25. Hongqiao airport: western Shanghai, 13 km from the city centre; domestic and East Asian regional flights; two terminals; 12 bus routes; Terminal 1 served by Metro Line 10, which connects T1 and T2; Terminal 2 served by Metro Lines 10 and 2, with Line 2 giving direct access to the National Exhibition and Convention Center; taxi to the city centre about 30 minutes, 100–150 yuan depending on traffic; taxi ranks outside Gate 1 (T1 arrivals floor) and Gate 4 (T2 arrivals floor); link to the Airport Link Line with a 40-minute inter-airport journey | Shanghai Municipal Government — English portal, Transportation section: “Transportation at Shanghai airports” (page marked Updated June 4, 2026; credited to the Shanghai Airport Authority) https://english.shanghai.gov.cn/en-Transportation/20231214/649e06ea38f74aaeb573fa2debbe97d3.html |
| S2 — Airport Link Line: connects the two airports in about 40 minutes; around 160 km/h; seven stations — Hongqiao Airport Terminal 2, Zhongchun Road, Jinghong Road, South Sanlin, East Kangqiao, Shanghai International Resort, Pudong Airport Terminal 1&2; fares start at 4 yuan, full journey 26 yuan; 1 yuan bus-transfer discount within 120 minutes; 10 percent discount after spending over 70 yuan in a month on metro or suburban railway; 20-ride package at 30 percent discount, valid 30 days; in-station transfer to Metro Line 9 at Zhongchun Road; out-of-station transfers — Hongqiao Airport T2 → Lines 2, 10, 17, Jinghong Road → Line 15, Pudong Airport T1&2 → Line 2 and maglev; first train Hongqiao Airport T2 → Pudong Airport T1&2 departs 05:45; last train Pudong Airport T1&2 → Hongqiao Airport T2 departs 22:15; trains every 15 minutes; luggage rules: under 23 kg per item, no more than 0.2 cubic metres each, total length+width+height under 1.8 m; lower racks for large luggage, upper racks for small items; wireless charging points | Shanghai Municipal Government — English portal, Transportation section: “How to take Airport Link Line” (page marked Updated on March 31, 2026; credited to the Shanghai Metro WeChat account “sh_metro”) https://english.shanghai.gov.cn/en-Transportation/20241231/f66f14bbd4b549ab88e6f3aec375790c.html |
| S3 — Metro fares and payment: distance-based fare — 3 yuan for trips of up to 6 km, plus 1 yuan for every 10 km thereafter; shortest-route rule when more than one transfer route exists; suburban railway lines opened in or after 2024 follow a separate fare mechanism; the Airport Link Line starts at 4 yuan with the full journey at 26 yuan and about 40 minutes between the airports; tap-to-ride accepts UnionPay, Visa, Mastercard, American Express and JCB contactless cards and eligible e-CNY hardware wallets, requiring sufficient balance and password-free payment for small transactions; Shanghai Public Transportation Card; Metro Daduhui app (Shanghai Shentong Metro Group) with Alipay/WeChat Pay QR and an international-card channel via WeChat Pay for Mastercard/Diners Club; single journey tickets at vending machines; card payment terminals at all metro station service centres accept domestic UnionPay and overseas Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express, Diners Club and JCB; Suishenxing (SH MaaS) app with one integrated code and 1/3/7-day passes, linking international cards; Shanghai Pass prepaid card and the Shanghai Pass three-day ticket for foreign travellers eligible for the 240-hour visa-free transit policy; one-day pass 18 yuan, three-day pass 45 yuan (excluding the maglev and suburban lines opened in or after 2024); Maglev and Metro Pass 55 yuan single-trip / 85 yuan round-trip; 1 yuan bus-transfer discount within 120 minutes; 10 percent discount after spending more than 70 yuan on metro rides in the same calendar month | Shanghai Municipal Government — English portal, Travel Your Way section: “Metro” (page marked Updated June 29, 2026; credited to the Shanghai Metro website, Shanghai Municipal Commission of Transport, Shanghai Municipal Development and Reform Commission and the Shanghai Maglev official website) https://english.shanghai.gov.cn/en-TravelYourWay/20251010/6f1beb560360472b8edaffd6187f4988.html |
| S4 — Taxis: road hailing possible but Didi Chuxing, Xiangdao and Gaode are the major app platforms; Qiangsheng taxi hotline 62580 with English-language service; booking through the city's MaaS platform; starting fare 16 yuan for electric vehicles and 14 yuan for standard vehicles (first 3 km); 2.7 yuan per km thereafter; long-distance surcharge at a 50 percent higher rate per kilometre beyond 15 km; suburban district-level fares for Pudong, Minhang, Baoshan, Jiading, Jinshan, Songjiang, Qingpu, Fengxian and Chongming; all taxis accept cash in yuan and the Shanghai Public Transportation Card; 2,000 Dazhong cabs accept international cards with UnionPay, Visa, Mastercard, Diners Club, JCB or American Express logos; request a receipt (fare, times, driver licence, distance, waiting time); avoid hailing within 50 m of an intersection | Shanghai Municipal Government — English portal, Transportation section: “Taking a taxi in Shanghai” (credited to the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Transportation and the Shanghai Municipal Development and Reform Commission) https://english.shanghai.gov.cn/en-Transportation/20250919/5dd5b4725b7344cab776d3ddcbce224d.html |
| S5 — Earlier official Airport Link Line page (used only for the timetable conflict note, not as a body figure): inauguration December 27; seven stations; around 160 km/h; first and last trains from both terminal stations at 06:00 and 22:39; fares starting at 4 yuan with the full journey at 26 yuan | Shanghai Pudong New Area Government — English portal: “How to take Airport Link Line in Shanghai” (2025-01-02; credited to the Shanghai Metro WeChat account “sh_metro”) https://english.pudong.gov.cn/chinashftz/2025-01/02/c_1062367.htm |
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